I had a nice, relaxing weekend surrounded by poker players and good food. Jason’s friend from Sonoma County was staying with us while he played a nearby WSOP Circuit event.

Saturday was beautiful and I enjoyed a long run by the water.

That night Jason was still in the tournament but his friend (and his friend’s friend) had busted so they came over to hang out. The three of us went to dinner at a place just a few blocks away called the Knotty Barrel. It was like an unexpected taste of home. Far from the normal California menu, it featured Southern-inspired dishes like fried pickles and meatloaf. We ordered half the menu, and after doing my best on baked brie, fried pickles, a bison burger, and french fries, I was stuffed a little past the level of comfort.

But that didn’t stop me from whipping up one of my specialties later that night- chocolate chip cookies! As usual, they were delicious. That Tollhouse recipe never does me wrong!

Sunday I (finally) tried out the Crockpot I got for Christmas. It fully lived up to my expectations of ease and awesomeness. I made this Chicken Chili recipe. It was the perfect thing for the rainy afternoon we were having and it got lots of compliments.

And of course I spent last night curled up on the couch savoring every moment of Mad Men. It was like catching up with an old friend, and now I’m strongly debating a Netflix membership just to watch it all again from day 1.

That will have to wait, though. I’ve got a busy few weeks ahead of me! My brother comes to visit tomorrow night, and the rest of my family arrives on Friday. We’ll spend the weekend here together in San Diego. Then I head back to Atlanta a week later for Easter and the end of a very very long dry spell (I gave up alcohol for lent). Can’t wait for a holiday at home and a big glass of red wine!